In sausage production, it is known to separate a sausage length filled by a filling machine with so-called clipper scissors, wherein the pasty mass is displaced by the clipper scissors which move towards each other. Then, a so-called clip or double clip is inserted between the clipper scissors which closes the individual sausage portions. The sausages may then be cut through between the double clip.
Sausage production with a clipping machine may be divided into the following process steps:
1. Filling machine: A feed mechanism ejects a portion and stops after set volume is reached.
2. Clipping machine: Displacement scissors move towards each other and close then product is displaced.
3. Clipping machine: The separation point may be expanded while the displacement scissors move apart.
4. Clipping machine: Placing a clip which closes the portions.
5. Clipping machine: The displacement scissors open again.
These steps are repeated cyclically.
In industrial sausage production, a preferably high portioning accuracy with a simultaneous high portioning cycle is demanded. To achieve this, it is required to match the starting and stopping movements of the filling and clipping machines with respect to the superposition of the movement of the displacement scissors and the movement of the feed mechanism, the speed and acceleration of the displacement scissors and of the feed mechanism. In particular, the transition between the above mentioned steps 1 and 2 and 5 and 1 must be optimized. A change of the movement profile of the filling machine also requires an adaptation of the movement of the clipper scissors and vice-versa to ensure optimal portioning. These problems are strongest with a high portioning cycle and a small portioning volume (ratio of portioning time to portioning pause <3).
There already exists a functioning, but very error-prone and complex/expensive solution for matching the functions of the clipping machine and the filling machine.
The adjustment of speed, acceleration and superposition is made separately at the filling and clipping machines. While it is possible with the existing parameters to adjust the synchronization between the filling and clipping machines, adjustment is in practice performed step by step and takes a lot of time.
For example, as soon as the speed is adjusted at the filling machine, this time-consuming readjustment must be repeated, which is often not done in practice and may lead in turn to incorrectly adjusted machines.